The Scottish Budget 2023
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Shona Robertson, faced some difficult decisions in drawing up her first Budget. Inflation had taken its toll on spending, to which had been added new commitments such as a promised council tax freeze in 2024/25.
The situation was exacerbated by the UK government’s decisions in the Autumn Statement to reduce national insurance contributions and make full corporate expensing of plant and machinery permanent. Had Jeremy Hunt instead chosen to increase spending on services, more money would have flowed to Scotland.